It’s been a good many years now since the last true instalment of the popular fighting franchise, and much longer since the last multiplatform release in Dead or Alive 2. Kasumi, Tina and co. return to the Xbox 360 and will also be gracing the PlayStation 3, this time with a number of fancy special moves to provide added cinematic flair in Dead or Alive 5.

Itagaki, the man deemed responsible for much of the sex appeal (whether you appreciate it or not) has been gone from Tecmo for some time now, and this has clearly had a negative effect on the Ninja Gaiden series. What we won’t know until later is whether or not his departure has left an impact on DOA, as the tantalising outfits and attractive character models appear to have remained with the previous appeal in mind.

What’s also new, however, is how they look more like actual characters as opposed to dolls, as well as a new system that allows for transparent clothing, presumably for when the ladies get sprayed or fall in a fountain… you know, just for kicks.

Blending the familiar, tried and tested gameplay with a fresh look, destructible environments and special techniques to bring it into the modern era, DOA5 is looking every bit the fighter we’ve waited all these years for.

There are many aspects that have yet to be revealed about the game, such as a few more updated character reveals and exactly how much the combat will differ to that of its predecessors, but with the late September release date approaching, you should expect fresh news to arrive sooner rather than later.

About Chris Morell

Chris is from London, UK and has been gaming his entire life. Having worked on other online video game sites, he brings with him a broad range of gaming knowledge stretching right back to the original NES and Sega Master System. A huge action/adventure fan who'll play pretty much anything except real-time strategy and sport/wrestling titles.

http://www.esperino.com/ Jess

I’m not a big fan of fighting games, but I’ve always had a soft sport for DOA since having it on Xbox as a kid. Looking forward to playing it again.